Survey of executive information systems in well-established organizations in KwaZulu-Natal
U. Averweg, G. Erwin and D. Petkov

Executive information systems (EIS) are a computer-based technology designed in response to the specific needs of executives. Web-based technologies are causing a revisit to existing information technology implementation models, including those for EIS. To survey EIS implementations in KwaZulu-Natal, the authors developed a questionnaire and report on the current EIS situation in 31 well-established organizations in KwaZulu-Natal, which successfully implemented EIS. The results are compared with EIS studies conducted in Australia, Spain and Taiwan.

Managing records at higher education institutions: a case study of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus
A. Chinyemba and P. Ngulube

Records constitute one of the key resources of an organization that must be managed just like the other corporate resources such as finance and human resources. Models exist for the proper management of records. Nevertheless, there is a proposition that universities are not managing their records in accordance with established principles and procedures. The purpose of this study was to investigate records management practices and procedures at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in order to find out if the University was managing its records in accordance with established principles and procedures. To accomplish its objectives, the study adopted a survey approach with a self-administered questionnaire as the primary tool of data collection. The results of the study showed that the University of KwaZulu-Natal did not manage its records in accordance with established procedures for records management. Based on the findings, the study recommended the development and implementation of records management policies and guidelines for the effective management of University records.

Guidelines for developing agricultural information portals in the Southern African Development Community Region (SADC)
J. Chisenga and P.A. van Brakel

It appears that the innovative use of the Web is more widespread in corporate than government or NGO organizations. For example, corporate organizations are already using portals or sophisticated Web sites to conduct electronic commerce via the Web and provide access to both internal and external information resources and services via the Internet, intranets, and extranets. In Africa, and especially the Southern African Development Community Region (SADC), the Web can become a source of agricultural information for many people, including agricultural researchers and institutions providing agricultural information. Many Web sites point to sources of information rather than the information itself, making it difficult for information end-users to get the information they are really looking for in good time. This problem could be addressed by the use of portals in agricultural research. The purpose of this research, therefore, was to establish the potential application possibilities of portals in agricultural research organizations, with special reference to SADC, examine the major components of a portal and propose a definition for an agricultural information portal. In the article, guidelines are proposed for planning the deployment of portals in agricultural research organizations in SADC.

Survey of information and knowledge management in South African law firms
T. du Plessis and A.S.A. du Toit

Knowledge is one of the most important assets of a law firm; yet, traditionally, many have taken an ad hoc approach to managing this asset, resulting in work duplication, inconsistent work practices and loss of important organizational knowledge when lawyers leave or retire. This article focuses on what the concept of information and knowledge management (KM) in a law firm entails and what the current information and KM trends in South African law firms are. It also reports the results of an empirical, explorative study identifying the extent as well as some barriers and concerns with regard to the utilization of KM systems and related IT applications in South African law firms.

Preservation of electronic documents in the private sector: business imperative and heritage responsibility
P.J. Lor and M.M.M. Snyman

The long-term preservation of and access to electronic documents have become increasingly important for organizations. This article addresses the enormous increase in electronic documents, their vulnerability, the importance of preserving them for business, legal and heritage purposes, the preservation challenges they pose, and the role and responsibilities of the knowledge manager in ensuring the long-term preservation and access of electronic documents.

Implementation of an information system within a bureaucratic environment: an understanding of the human issues
W.J. Marais and C.J. Kruger

An increasing awareness of the soft and intangible issues that are involved when implementing information systems (IS) necessitates a romantic appreciation of the complexity of a wide range of human-related issues. This article expands our understanding of these issues as they relate to bureaucratic organizations, which tend to be mechanistic without being sensitive to the romantic needs of their employees. The article is based on an interpretation of user perceptions and experiences with regard to the implementation of an IS within the RSA military environment. The system selected is an integrated system for the management and cost-effective optimization of weapons systems (i.e. aircraft, ships, vehicles, etc.), which incorporates all the functions related to technical, commodity and operational support and planning. A pre-tested questionnaire with 18 personalized perception statements was used to obtain the romantic experiences of 88 users from three of the organization's business areas. From this it was concluded that user resistance, involvement, training, acceptance (of the IS) and motivation constitute the human issues that are crucial with regard to implementing an IS within a bureaucratic environment. These human issues need to be addressed to ensure proper adoption and use, which is a prerequisite for an IS to be of value.